Boulder Creek senior changed by sister's illness

He learned selflessness, devotion in cancer fight

When Chase Wagner was a little boy heading out of the house for school with his sister, Katie, his father would say, "keep the boys away from her and don't let them talk to her."

Chase, 18, interpreted the duty to include escorting Katie to school and keeping an eye on her at the playground when both attended grade school in Anthem. The watching-over-the-sister role continued when the siblings reached Boulder Creek High School.

In October, watching over his sister became much more significant.

On Oct. 19, Katie was diagnosed with cancer. The invasive Stage 4 cancer, known as rhabdomyosarcoma, sapped the energy out of Katie, a 16-year-old sophomore, making walking a major chore.

Chase, who played football and baseball at Boulder Creek, could not rely on physical power to stop the cancer, which has metastasized to her bones and lungs.

"I wanted to reach inside her and pull out the cancer," Chase said. "I was scared because I felt helpless, scared for her because when people say cancer, you think the worst."

Life has changed since October for Chase, a senior who will graduate Friday from Boulder Creek.

Chase's father, Steve Wagner, says his son grew up overnight.

"My son's whole attitude has changed since Katie got sick," he said. "There is no more selfishness and he never asks for anything. If Katie needs something, she comes first in his life. If there is anything she needs, a car ride somewhere, Chase has no problem doing that."

Anthem Parkside residents Jacque and Steve Wagner have three children -- Chase, Katie and Brett.

The family, devoted Christians, moved to Anthem from Glendale in 1999 because they liked the community's family-oriented atmosphere. Steve operates a painting division for a contractor. Jacque left work to care for Katie.

One day last year, Katie complained to her mother about difficulty going to the bathroom, which prompted her parents to take her to the doctor. A cancer diagnosis followed.

Chase, a cornerback and safety for Boulder Creek's football team, posted the information on Facebook and asked for prayers. The next morning, the school community hosted a prayer gathering at the flagpole on campus.

Hundreds of students and teachers prayed and silently wept. Support for the family from the Anthem community swelled.

Friends of Chase sent text messages, many Bible scriptures. This included the football team, which got involved and raised funds for Katie's medical bills.

Chase missed the duty of watching out for his sister.

"The first couple of days, it was weird because I was used to seeing Katie walking through the (school) hallway and I would bump into her," said Chase.

He later realized if he sat down, cried and ignored his schoolwork, things would not get better for his sister. Doctors helped by sharing a medical-treatment plan with the family.

Chase's parents insisted he remain in school and encouraged him to stay on the football and baseball teams because their belief was the teammates would take care of him. They were correct.

He played football as an escape and channeled his anger toward the opposing team throughout the fall. He played his heart out for Katie, hoping to make her proud of him.

The first football game after her diagnosis, he felt exhausted, stressed and uninterested. But that night turned into one of his better games because he recovered a fumble and helped lead the team to a win against Bradshaw Mountain.

About a month after Katie's diagnosis, Chase learned about the battle his sister faced. When she began chemo treatment, she could not keep food down and was unable to walk. She slept often.

Perhaps most painful was the night in November when Katie's hair was shaved.

"Hair is a girl's best friend and they spend hours working with hair and makeup," Chase said. "I was heartbroken because it's hard to watch a girl lose her hair because I knew what comes after that."

Chase said the ordeal prompted him to say more prayers and increased his activities at church. He reached out to youth and offered ministry and started listening to Christian bands such as Third Day and Casting Crowns.

"A man of Christ is how he presents himself," Chase said. "You are respectful, you pray and have Christ in your heart and you minister to other people and you worship. That's all stuff that became me every Sunday and every day."

Recently, doctors told the Wagner family they could not see any of the disease in Katie. Previously, they had seen cancer through a PET scan and MRI.

Katie, Chase said, is as close to normal as can be. She recently went shopping and watched a movie with friends.

Chase, who aspires to be a businessman, remains undecided about where he plans to attend college. Glendale Community College has offered him a baseball scholarship.